Report: Natan Eshel Won't Take Part in Coalition Talks

At the request of Chairman Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party, Natan Eshel - an associate of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu - will not be part of the negotiating team for building the government, according to a Monday-morning report by Kol Yisrael government radio. Eshel had to leave the Prime Minister's Office over allegations of harassing an employee.

The report noted that sources close to Netanyahu are recalling breach-of-trust charges that were brought against Lapid's negotiator Uri Shani. Yesh Atid responded that the 15-year-old offense was that Shani's chauffeur drove Shani's daughters in a government car, a negligible disciplinary offense.